Construction for removing moisture

ABSTRACT

A construction for removing moisture from clothes and the like comprising a form which includes at least one sheet of electrically conductive material. Electrical terminals are attached to the sheet whereby current can be passed through the sheet for purposes of raising the surface temperature of the form. The form is dimensioned so that an article of clothing can be fit around the form for contact with the heated surface. This will provide for removal of moisture which may be water or other liquid such as a dry cleaning fluid or mixtures of various fluids.

[54] CONSTRUCTION FOR REMOVING MOISTURE Rhea V. Shields, 2032 West 110th Place, Chicago, 111. 60632 22 Filed: May27, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 40,963

[72] Inventor:

[52] U.S.Cl ..223/70,34/l03,2l9/21l, 223/75 [51 Int. Cl ..A4lh 5/00, D06f59/00 [58] Field 01 Search ..223/66-68, 70-74, 223/75, 79, 82; 219/199, 203, 21 l, 345, 549; 34/103 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,048,310 8/1962 Dosal ..223/70 1,321,828 11/1919 Hussa Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Assistant Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney-McDougall, Hersh & Scott ABSTRACT A construction for removing moisture from clothes and the like comprising a form which includes at least one sheet of electrically conductive material. Electrical terminals are attached to the sheet whereby current can be passed through the sheet for purposes of raising the surface temperature of the form. The form is dimensioned so that an article of clothing can be fit around the form for contact with the heated surface. This will provide for removal of moisture which may be water or other liquid such as a dry cleaning fluid or mixtures of various fluids.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented April 4, 1972 3,653,561

Raw/ g 3C1 6 S 3W9 M mag 5 CONSTRUCTION FOR REMOVING MOISTURE This invention relates to a construction for removing moisture. The invention is particularly directed to a construction which is useful for removing moisture from articles of clothing after washing or dry cleaning of the articles.

In applicants U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,578, issued on Jan. 17, 1967, there is described a clothes care apparatus comprising a device wherein a garment is subjected to a flow of conditioned air while being subjected to constant pressure. The device functions to remove moisture and to otherwise treat the garments associated therewith. Del Moral, U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,749 and Swartz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,396 provide additional examples of structures which employ air streams for purposes of treating clothes as in a laundry or dry cleaning establishment.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved construction useful for clothes care.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a clothes care construction which may be used in the home on a personal basis or which is adapted for business use, for example by a laundry and dry cleaning establishment.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a construction for clothes care which includes unique means for exposing articles of clothing to heat and moving air streams whereby moisture including water, dry cleaning fluids, and other liquids can be removed from the clothing on a highly efficient basis.

These and other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specific embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a clothes care form characterized by the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, partly cut away, illustrating air circulating means in association with the form of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the in: vention; and,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 3 in the inflated condition.

The construction of this invention consists of a form which is designed for holding articles containing moisture. The articles, which may be clothing, are fit around the form and the mechanisms of the invention operate to assist in the removal of the moisture. The construction of the invention thus serves as a highly efficient means for drying articles subsequent to laundering or as part ofa dry cleaning operation.

The form utilized in the construction of the invention consists of at least one sheet of material which comprises an electrically conductive body. Electrical terminals are attached to the sheet, and means are provided for passing current through the sheet. The electrical resistance of the sheet is such that the temperature will increase to a desired level.

The form is dimensioned so that the article of clothing or other article will be positioned in contact with the heated surface of the form. The relatively intimate contact which is provided between the article and the form serves as a highly effective means for removing moisture. Furthermore, means are provided for maintaining a uniform temperature level over the surfaces of the form so that the moisture removal operation will be uniformly applied.

FIG. 1 illustrates one structure characterized by the features of this invention. This structure comprises a form having a female configuration whereby it is suitable for holding dresses, blouses, skirts, etc. It will be appreciated when considering the description of the invention that forms of various configurations can be manufactured so that the principals of the invention may be applied to all types of clothing and to other articles such as table linens, sheets, etc.

The form 10 is manufactured from a sheet of material 12 which is electrically conductive. Terminals 14 are provided so that current can be passed through the sheet whereby the temperature of the sheet surface will increase depending upon the magnitude of the current and the electrical resistance of the sheet. The temperatures which are achieved will vary, depending upon the type of material forming the article which is fit around the form. Suitable control means can be employed in much the same manner as in the case of an electric iron. As a general rule, the temperature for a particular type of material must be below a temperature which would scorch or burn an article while being sufficiently high to provide for removal of moisture on a rapid and, therefore, efficient basis.

The material used in manufacturing the form 10 may comprise a product such as Temsheet, a material manufactured by the Armstrong Cork Company. This material comprises a thin, flexible sheet having a resistance of about 225 ohms per square. This material can be formed into a desired configuration, and with electrodes attached, the surface temperature of the material can be controlled, depending upon the voltage applied.

Other materials, such as Brunsmet, manufactured by Brunswick Corporation or laminates of foil and plastic, or sheets having embedded conductors are also contemplated. The material selected may be of a thickness such that the chosen configuration will be maintained during use. For example, forms 10 may be manufactured in different sizes corresponding with known clothing sizes so that forms will be available for different individuals. These forms could be sold on a personal basis for use in the home, or a range of sizes and configurations could be purchased by a commercial establishment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a circulating fan 16 which may be utilized in combination with the form 10. By circulating air within the form, greater uniformity in temperature can be achieved. Thus, any hot spots or areas which are not sufficiently heated can be brought to or close to an average temperature level due to the streams of air which move over the interior surfaces of the form.

The form is preferably made porous by puncturing holes in the form or by utilizing a material which is porous. This characteristic, in combination with the use of air circulating means, will result in the passage of air through the form and into contact with the surrounding article of clothing. In many cases, a highly efficient drying operation can be achieved by means of the air flow into contact with the garment being processed.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a form 20 which includes the previously described features and which is designed for removing moisture from socks. This structure is formed of a highly flexible material, which is shown in the collapsed state in FIG. 3. A valve 22 is associated with the structure so that it can be inflated to assume the configuration shown in FIG. 4. By employing the terminals 24, the surfaces of the form 20 will be heated whereby socks can be efficiently dried.

If desired, the material employed in manufacturing the form 20 may be porous whereby a supply of air sufficient to maintain a continuous internal pressure is required. The air supply will then maintain the configuration of the form 20 while portions of the air will flow into contact with the sock which is positioned on the form.

Where a more flexible material is employed, a configuration such as shown in FIG. 1, can be achieved and maintained by utilizing a frame. Thus, the flexible electrically conductive material may be attached to the frame so that a specific configuration will be maintained throughout the life of the construction.

Configurations such as shown in FIG. I may also be achieved using flexible material without a supporting frame. In this connection, where flexible material is employed, the provision of a variety of constructions for accommodating clothing of various sizes may be dispensed with. Thus, by utilizing air pressure for inflating a flexible form, the form will tend to assume the configuration of the article fit around the form. Accordingly, in such cases, it is not necessary to prepare forms in strict accordance with size or configuration requirements.

As shown in FIG. 1, a liner 28 of a suitable nonconductive material may be employed. This liner serves as a reinforcing means, and in this connection, a plastic sheet of polyvinylchloride will provide a suitable backing for the material 12 which incorporates the properties necessary for achieving the results of the invention. An exterior coating of plastic may also be utilized whereby garments on the form will be protected against scorching which could result in areas of localized heating. A metal foil is also contemplated as a liner or cover for the conductive sheet. A suitable insulating layer may be interposed between the foil and the conductive sheet to insure that the current will pass through the sheet. The presence of the foil will, however, assist in distributing the heat over the surface of the construction to thereby provide greater uniformity for heat transfer purposes.

If desired, a conventional thermostat may be attached to provide more accurate control of temperature.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the above described construction which provide the characteristics of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly as defined in the following claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A construction for removing moisture from clothes and the like comprising a form, said form including at least one sheet of electrically conductive material, electrical terminals attached to said sheet whereby current can be passed through the sheet to thereby raise the temperature of the form, said form being dimensioned so that an article of clothing can be fit around the form for contact between the heated form and the clothing whereby moisture can be removed from the clothing,

said electrically conductive material being maintained in a particular shape for use in conjunction with particular types of articles of clothing, said sheet extending over all areas of the form for positioning of sheet surfaces adjacent all portions of clothing in contact with the form, air circulating means associated with the form to assist in maintaining uniform temperature distribution, said material being porous whereby the air is adapted to pass into contact with the article of clothing fit around the form.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sheet of material is relatively stiff and is adapted to maintain a particular desired configuration.

3. A construction in accordance with claim 2 wherein the material of said form is flexible, and wherein said air circulating means also serves to maintain the form in an inflated condition whereby the form tends to assume the configuration of the article fit around the form.

4. A construction in accordance with claim 1 including a plastic liner located over the interior surface of said material to provide a re-enforcing backing for the material, said liner being perforated to permit the passage of air through said material and into contact with the clothing. 

1. A construction for removing moisture from clothes and the like comprising a form, said form including at least one sheet of electrically conductive material, electrical terminals attached to said sheet whereby current can be passed through the sheet to thereby raise the temperature of the form, said form being dimensioned so that an article of clothing can be fit around the form for contact between the heated form and the clothing whereby moisture can be removed from the clothing, said electrically conductive material being maintained in a particular shape for use in conjunction with particular types of articles of clothing, said sheet extending over all areas of the form for positioning of sheet surfaces adjacent all portions of clothing in contact with the form, air circulating means associated with the form to assist in maintaining uniform temperature distribution, said material being porous whereby the air is adapted to pass into contact with the article of clothing fit around the form.
 2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sheet of material is relatively stiff and is adapted to maintain a particular desired configuration.
 3. A construction in accordance with claim 2 wherein the material of said form is flexible, and wherein said air circulating means also serves to maintain the form in an inflated condItion whereby the form tends to assume the configuration of the article fit around the form.
 4. A construction in accordance with claim 1 including a plastic liner located over the interior surface of said material to provide a re-enforcing backing for the material, said liner being perforated to permit the passage of air through said material and into contact with the clothing. 